Among the crew there was a dandy sailor who took especial pride in his flowing locks, and evidently sought to attract the notice of the lady passenger. The day before they reached Sisal, seizing an opportunity when Talbot and Gonzales were below, he passed once or twice by the place where she sat on deck, and at length catching her eye, with a meaning look dropped a letter at her feet, and immediately retired. Mary had been beset with so many dangers of late; had been so often nearly ensnared by plots, that she at once imagined the letter to contain a friendly warning. She therefore hastily picked it up and ran below. It proved to be a genuine love-letter, and despite her sadness and the anxiety of her position, she laughed outright as she read it. Her unusual merriment drew Talbot to her side, and after exacting a promise from him that he would in no manner notice, or betray a knowledge of its contents, she placed the letter in his hands, saying, “Don’t be jealous—I will be true, although the offer is a tempting one.” Verbatim et literatim, it ran thus:
“i loves to spell it as i loves to eat. i kiles the ropes to spell it, i scratches it with a marlingspike on the rale, charming Miss Mary i addores you when you walkes the deck so gracefull as a swan a swimming of a Rivver, i looks down upon you from the top as you moves backards and forrards so musically, i wishes that I was a hauk to pounce down upon you and carry you of like a Duv in my Arms to sum luvly ileand in the sea. Sweetest Miss Mary i isent a Lofer, for my Parrents is respectible and my father ones a Large factory in New Jersy, whar he makes a Grate quontity of paper, not your common Rapping paper, but big sheets for the Nusepapers, and sum a grate deal Finer for Riting upon than this, which is the best i can gett. i is unfortunit Miss Mary but i isent a imposter for my Father is ever so Rich and will give plenty of munny if i will cum home and help him in his bizziness, but i cant go home nor no whars els onless you will smile upon me i offers you all my prospicts. if you will eccept my sute if your charming buzzom feels any pitty for a poor Retch who loves you to dispare, and you will cast them sweet killing ise on me, as you aires the deck, you will liten my hart of its hevvy lode and make it swim in Blis. Yours furever until deth.
